Rise above
by booklover123az
Summary: Izuku Midoryia and Kenford Sadao both ostracized for different reasons must rise facing all the chalanges life throws at them. Along the way the way to become heroes they must also face the complexities of love, luckily they'll have each others back helping one another rise above. IzukuxTsuyu Ocxharem (Mina Ashido, Ochaco Uraraka, Momo Yaoyorozu)M for violence and sexual content
1. Prologue

**Hey everyone, it's me I've been a big fan of My Hero Academia for a while so I decided to finally start writing again. I have to say I'm excited about this new project and I hope you enjoy it. I don't have a fixed schedule for this and what with work I may not have as much time to work on this as I would like but I'll do my best to update as frequently as I can while still keeping up the quality that's all I have to say for now so here we go. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or its characters**

_**Narrator**_

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_**You've probably heard and seen this before but listen and observe one more time for this story is different. It all started about 200 years ago in the town of Quin Quin, China where a child was born that radiated pure light. Following that people all over the world began developing extraordinary abilities, these abilities soon became known as quirks. Nobody knows what caused these quirks to appear but with the rise of powers, chaos filled the streets. And from that chaos, a few people began using their newfound powers to perform heroic deeds. And so this led to the rise of a new profession that filled the dreams of others, these protectors of the innocent became known as heroes. And now 200 years later the world has become a superhuman society with about 80% of the world's population possessing some uncanny ability, however with that 20% of the world's population have no special abilities, the term for such people is called quirkless. Sadly this has made many people realize that not all men are created equal, and one such boy is being forced to realize this. **_

"Stop it Kacchan! Y-your hurting him!" The shout came from a small child with messy green hair and four freckles in a diamond shape on each cheek. "If you don't stop I...I'll stop you myself!" This boy's name is Izuku Midoriya and he was currently in a defensive stance as he stood between three other kids his age and another boy on the ground wiping away tears after the beating he had received from the other three boys. Izuku for his part was trembling in fear as he stood against his friend the spiky-haired ash blond boy known as Katsuki Bakugo or Kacchan that was leading two others.

Bakugo gave Izuku an unpleasant smile as he slammed his fist into his open palm, "Heh, so you're trying to play hero, huh?" a small explosion as he did so went off in his hands. "You don't stand a chance without a quirk you useless Deku." The other two boys behind him activated their quirks in response to their leader's action one of them grew large red leathery wings and the other's fingers grew extensively. They all shared the same smile as they charged forward to beat Izuku for daring to stand against them, the boy Izuku had been defended ran away as soon as the trio's attention was on Izuku leaving him to suffer a worse beating than the one he had just endured.

Izuku laid thereafter the three had left, he couldn't bring himself to move as he remembered a few weeks ago when he had gone to the doctor with his mother to find out what his quirk would be, only to have his hopes crushed as the doctor informed them that he was one of the few who was quirkless. At that moment his world came crashing down, all his dreams suddenly felt unreachable, the next few days had been full of crying, sitting in a chair in front of a computer watching his favorite video of the number one hero All Might and his inspiration for becoming a hero. One night he had asked his mother if he could still be a hero regardless of being quirkless, his small hope was once again crushed when his mother dropped to her knees and hugged him crying and saying. "I'm sorry Izuku, I wish things could be different."

Most people would give up then and there, with the world and even those closest to him saying that he could never achieve his dreams, but Izuku was different than most people. He remembered the hope he felt when he saw heroes, not just All Might save people, the expressions on other people as a hero arrived bringing hope and a feeling of safety to others. Clenching his teeth as he forced himself to stand up despite the pain. He looked up at the sun beginning to set, the light warming him and reminding him of his hopes and dreams, at that moment he clenched his fists and began walking back home. With each step he pushed aside all the voices in his head telling him to give up, the embers in him that had been close to being extinguished began to burn brighter until it grew into a flame that one day would grow into an inferno. As he finally made it home he forced himself to smile like his hero and with his rekindled dream he swore to himself he would one day become a hero even if he was quirkless.

_**Izuku may have been forced to accept that not all people are born equal, that some people are born with more power than others but he would not let that stop him. But this is all something you've heard before, the story of how this boy became the greatest hero in the world. But this isn't the only story here, now we move on to another story one that is so different and yet similar to Izuku's own story. The story of a boy that would be shunned by others because of his power's potential.**_

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_**In this world people will often ostracize those who are weaker than them, their lack of power makes them easy targets for those who have power. Others to avoid being seen as targets as well will avoid them to be safe or they may follow those who are strong for protection. But what of those who are born with to much power? What if someone was born with a power that others fear and envy? Pride, envy, fear these may cause others to ostracize those who they would otherwise follow or admire. Such is the story of a young boy whose power changed the course of his life.**_

Children were currently laughing as they ran around the playground, it was a sight you would often see during a weekend afternoon. But far away in the backyard of a Japanese style mansion one boy was not playing or laughing, he was sitting under the shade of a large tree curled up and wiping away tears. The boy was 4 years old with short messy chocolate brown hair, his cognac brown eyes that almost seemed to glow with the shadow cast over them, but most noticeable of all were the two black-furred cat ears on the side of his head that were currently drooping down, along with a solid black furred tail that was currently curled around him. A few weeks ago he would have been playing alongside the other kids in a park, laughing and running like any normal kid his age. But now things were very different because of a few weeks ago when his quirk had finally manifested his memory of that day was confusing as the remembered certain points with such clarity while other parts were a blur and as he closed his eyes the memories played in his head once again.

Other kids had already begun to show signs of developing powers but he had yet to show any signs, he hadn't been very worried though and the thought of being quirkless had never even occurred to him. Then one day while he was playing in a corner of the room with a few of his friends a sequence of events happened that would change his life. Another kid who had developed their quirk was boasting loudly about how they would be one of the greatest heroes, that wouldn't catch his attention normally but the boasting boy's next words instantly stopped him in his tracks.

"Everyone knows all quirkless people are losers, I mean there is nothing special about them so there is no way a quirkless could ever be a hero." The boy smirked as a few other kids nodded in agreement and cheered him on. Kenford on the other hand openly glared at the boy and stomped up to the boy to confront him. "Hey, you take that back right now just because someone is quirkless doesn't make them losers or that they can't be a hero." Kenford didn't shout but he had raised his voice slightly and his tone was full of anger.

The other boy was taken aback by Kenford's anger and sudden approach, but after looking around and seeing that the caretaker wasn't in the room and most the other kids were too distracted by their fun he was confident no one else would interfere plus he knew that Kenford hadn't developed a quirk yet. The kid smirked as he saw that all the advantages were with him, "Oh? Do you think that? I bet you're just saying because you don't have a quirk yet and you're worried that you'll be quirkless you dumb Neko."

Kenford gritted his teeth in a snarl exposing his upper and lower fangs while letting out a low cat-like growl, he wasn't sure what a Neko was but the tone of the other boy made it clear that he meant it as an insult. He was about to respond with his insult but the boy spoke up cutting him off before he could speak. "Oh? Is the little kitty angry? You should be careful otherwise people might think that your feral and lock you up before you hurt someone." The boy let out a loud laugh and his companions laughed with him, the boy had a smug smile on his face as he saw the anger on Kenford's face, then decided it was time to drive the point home now.

The boy stepped closer and drew his fist back, "You should learn to keep your mouth shut around someone stronger than you, mangy cat." With that the boy threw his fist forward while activating his quirk, a translucent bright yellow field surrounded his fist, and the moment it came in contact with Kenford's chest it sent him flying back a few feet into the wall. There was a thud at the impact and his head smacked against the wall and the slumped to the floor.

That moment when Kenford felt the impacts then the boy's laugh was when things became fuzzy in his memory, he only remembered a few flashes of images and sounds but hose few flashes would haunt him from that point on. First, there were screams, he wasn't sure if they were of concern or fear, then he felt his hand grip the ground, he heard the sound of something breaking and more screaming as suddenly several spikes seemed to materialize from the ground. The smell of blood hit his nose then the room seems to shake and the roof started to collapse, the other kids ran out of the room screaming then things went black right after he felt a slight pain from his head.

He awoke several hours later in a hospital bed his family was in the same room as him with a doctor, they were all too busy talking to notice that he was starting to wake up and so they didn't hide the concern in their voices as they spoke. The doctor tried to sound calm but there was a slight quiver in her voice as she spoke."It seems your son has developed a mutated quirk instead of an inherited one, it's extremely rare but it does happen. Although I've never seen one as powerful as the one your son had developed."

His father spoke up, the helmet of his armor opened so his voice was clear, "What exactly is his quirk? Some kind of earth manipulation? Quirks like that are the only things I've seen that match what we saw at the school."

The doctor shook her head and picked up a coffee mug she had brought with her to help her explain. "No, though there are similarities your son's quirk is far more powerful and dangerous than simple earth manipulation. It appears your son can dismantle anything he touches down to its very molecules by separating them from each other, then he's able to manipulate them into any pattern he wants. Simply put your son can dematerialize then re-materialize anything he touches or that is in contact with what he's dematerializing at the time living, nonliving, organic, inorganic it doesn't matter he can break it down then put it back together however he wants."

His family looked stunned as they heard that their son's quirk could potentially be one of the strongest quirks in all of Japan, the only one who didn't show any surprise or any emotion whatsoever was his grandfather, he simply nodded his head as he listened. Kenford for his part gasped as he understood that he had a quirk and though he didn't completely understand how it worked the excitement distracted him from the fear in the woman's voice and the comment about his quirk being dangerous, he also missed the implications of his quirk when she said both organic and living things would be affected by his quirk. He wouldn't understand the implications of what had happened that day until a few days later when he saw the news. It was a report about the destruction of the daycare, in the report, it showed that a large amount of the small building had collapsed and several large stone spikes could be seen rising from the ground. Then came the part that would affect him for the rest of his life, it was a list of injuries that had occurred several students had minor injuries but a few had been stabbed by some of the smaller spikes, none had been killed and they would all recover eventually.

The reporter then stated, "The accident was caused by a child's quirk, the identity of the child is being kept a secret from us but I can't help but wonder what kind of quirk could cause so much damage and more importantly what kind of child would use their quirk to hurt so many of their fellows and destroy the building. Truly it is a thought that the authorities should keep in mind after all such a display of ruthless destruction could be a clear sign of mental instability and this reporter feels like such a monster should be kept in check."

After that, he began to understand what had happened and the woman's words stuck with him. Not long after he had tried to talk to his friends but they had refused to talk to him, even the parents wanted nothing to do with him. And the few times he had seen them or anyone who knew that it was him who caused the destruction they would hurry away from him, a clear expression of fear in their faces. After a week he had been officially withdrawn from the daycare and plans were made for him to move to his grandparent's mansion outside the town where he would be homeschooled and have professionals help him control his quirk. And so here he is now crying under a tree wondering why he had been born with such a quirk, why he was cursed, and if it was even possible to be like his family and reach his dream, his dream to be one of the greatest heroes in the world.

_**Life can be cruel and unforgiving at times but it's up to the individual to take what life has given them both the good and the bad to forge their path. Pain, suffering, trauma these things can destroy some but others can use them to rise from the ashes stronger than before. **_

_**This is the story of two boys who rose above the challenges life threw at them and rose to be some of the greatest heroes in the world.**_

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**AN**

**Hey, everyone, I hope you enjoyed this little prologue I'm excited to be doing this and so before I go I have a few things to say and people I need to thank. **

**First off I want to thank mxjace from the My Hero Academia amino app for making the art that I'm using for the story's image. It came out great and I appreciate their hard work. Also, I have to thank another author who helped inspire me to write this story, which is none other than {Magnus9284} and their amazing story Cursed Blood. You should check it out it's a great story with a bit of a dark theme to it but it still has plenty of humor. It also reminded me that some people with powerful and dangerous quirks would be seen in a negative light by others which I admit was not something I had thought of until I read their story. Welp that's all I have to say I hope you enjoyed please leave a review letting me know what you think it would mean a lot to me, thanks again and have a great day!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, I want to say thanks to everyone who has followed/favorite my story. It means a lot to me and I'm glad that you enjoyed the prologue. That's about it I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own MHA or it's characters **

_**Narrator**_

_**Life is full of challenges that you must work hard to overcome, help from others can make it easier to overcome said challenges but in the end, it's up to the individual to rise above the challenge. Izuku Midoriya would struggle for years to overcome his challenges by focusing on his mind and learning all he could from watching other heroes and refusing to listen to those who told him to give up. But Kenford Sadao must overcome his challenges, learning to control his quirk, overcoming the voices that claim he's a monster. However, first, his family must deal with the fallout caused by his quirk manifesting.**_

_**(Matsubara Sadao. Hero name: Sonic Shockwave. Quirk: Absorbdiom- he can create anything made of a metal that is capable of absorbing kinetic energy and is near indestructible from his biomass such as lipids, cells, etc. He can also cover himself in it and reabsorb the metal to regain the lost biomass so long as he does so within 5min.)**_

Matsubara Sadao was normally a happy easy going man who often smiled and took the difficulties of the world in stride. As a baby he had been abandoned at an orphanage, he grew up facing problems after problems such as dealing with people thinking he was quirkless for ten years before his quirk finally manifested then having to deal with more people wanting to get their hands on him for his quirk. From there he worked hard to get into a hero course where his physical abilities were never that great but he more than made up for it with his brilliant mind. After graduating he went to university for a few years before moving to I-Island where he eventually met his wife at an expo, and so he now lives in Japan happily married with a son who took after him greatly in appearance aside from the cat-like features that came from his wife's side of the family. Several other problems had made his life difficult but he kept on smiling, pushing through it all and now he honestly thought things would be better, unfortunately now he was dealing with something he could never have seen coming.

A few weeks ago his son manifested a quirk in a daycare with disastrous consequences, though nobody had been killed several students had been injured and the building sustained serious damage. So now he had to deal with reporters trying to find out who had caused the damage along with having to deal with the parents of the students along with the people who ran the daycare who all felt that his son should be punished for what happened. Dealing with all the lawsuits being thrown at his family had taken every bit of control he had along with all the connections the family possessed to settle things with the families and to keep their son's name from the media. So now he leaned against a wall in the backyard of his in-laws' mansion heartbroken at the sight of his son crying once again under a strangely large ironwood tree, unable to think of anything he could do to help his son that he hadn't already tried.

Nakazawa Sadao was a little shorter than his son-in-law with black hair that was turning gray with age, the same could be said about the black fur on his cat-like ears and tail. His face remained in a stern expression as Matsubara turned and nodded his head in greetings, Nakazawa returned the gesture before leaning against the wall alongside him. "The boy is at it again I see," Nakazawa said simply after a few minutes of silence had passed.

Matsubara knew his father-in-law didn't need a response but he had to say something, "He spends most of his time out here, he refuses to talk to anyone so the people we've tried to bring in to talk to him have had no success." He rubbed his forehead in frustration as he continued talking, all the frustration he had been feeling coming out in his tone. "I've been trying everything I can but he just doesn't respond, and every time someone tries to get close he just runs away. I...I just don't know what to do...I wish I or anyone could help him, I wish he would go back to being the same energetic carefree kid he was." He rubbed at his eyes as if trying to wipe away at the tears he knew would come before they could appear. "I even miss running after him when he would run into the forest and climb the trees no matter how many times we told him not too." He added with a quiet laugh that held more heartbreak than laughter.

Nakazawa's face remained stern and emotionless through the man's confession, though he had never said anything about it he too had been observing the boy's behavior and the way his family had been trying to reach the boy only for their attempts to fail. He had been wondering what could be done differently and now listening to his son-in-law while going over all the attempts in his mind something finally clicked. His family had been trying to comfort the boy and trying to make the boy feel better about the accident and saying that it wasn't the boy's fault. But every time they did the boy refused to believe them and any attempt to get closer to him would cause the boy to run away and each time he ran away he had an expression of fear on his face.

Nakazawa rubbed his chin as an idea formed in his mind, the time had come to tell the boy a story usually reserved for later in life, he knew his family wouldn't approve of his plan but it may be their only chance to finally reach the boy. "Matsubara I need you to take Kuramoto and Koizumi out later, keep them out of the house for a few hours."

Matsubara looked at Nakazawa in surprise both at the request and the suddenness, the surprise passed quickly enough and he frowned as responded in a disbelieving tone. "Nakazawa, why would I do that? You know they want to stay close to Ken to keep an eye on him, I mean Zumi wanted us to temporarily shut down the agency so we can stay home."

Nakazawa raised a hand to silence the man's protests. "I am well aware of this Nakazawa, however, I need to talk to the boy alone. You and the others have been trying to be as gentle as possible with the boy to no avail. I believe a more direct route is needed if the boy is to be saved from the hole he dug for himself." Nakazawa could see the denial in the other man's eyes and spoke up to cut off any interruptions. "The boy needs a firm hand to help him see the truth and despite any protests you may have, the fact of the matter is you all have been coddling him. Please, Matsubara, I need you to trust me, trust that I want what is best for my grandson."

Matsubara blinked sharply in surprise since Nakazawa rarely called Kenford his grandson preferring to call him by name or simply boy. He wanted to argue that it wasn't true, that his son needed more time to heal but seeing the certainty in the more experienced man's face along with the uncharacteristic level of fondness in the usually stern man's eyes and voice he couldn't find a solid excuse or reason to continue arguing. He looked over at his son who hadn't moved in the slightest not even moving to wipe away the tears running down his face, his son's expression was that of someone close to giving up on life as if he had lost all hope or drive. Matsubara gripped his chest at the painful sight that made his heartache, looking to his father-in-law he saw perhaps the best chance his son had to be saved, with a small nod he agreed to do as he was asked.

Nakazawa watched his grandson from the roof of his house hidden from the boy's sight, a full hour had passed since the rest of his family had left only saying they would return soon, it was the longest time the boy had gone without necessary supervision since his quirk had developed. Nakazawa had told the boy that he would be resting in his room before leaving a bowl of food out for him. Not long after he had left the boy's sight Ken had finally moved to eat the food and then sit back down in the same spot simply staring in between his legs at the ground in front of him. From his position, he couldn't get a good look at his grandson's face so he could only use the boy's body language to guess what the boy might do but considering his past actions or rather lack of actions the boy would probably remain in place for the rest of the day. Nakazawa shook his head and activating his quirk jumped off the roof high into the air and landed a few feet in front of his grandson with a small thud.

Kenford let out a startled shout as the shock caused him to activate his quirk cracking the ground under his hands. Looking up he saw his grandfather covered in short black fur meaning he was using his quirk. Before he could say anything he could say anything his grandfather spoke. "Get up boy we are going for a walk." Not waiting for a response he turned around walking towards the back gate leading to the forest behind the house. His grandfather's tone made it obvious he would not accept any argument or disobedience, so he hesitated for only a moment before following.

No words passed between them for several minutes as they walked through the forest, finally, they reached a spot where the trees and other vegetation thinned out enough for them to be able to move more freely. Kenford looked up at grandfather, fidgeting when several minutes passed in silence he decided to try to ask why they were here. "Ojii-san what are we..." He trailed off as his grandfather turned around and gave him a look that told him to be quiet.

The stern expression on the grandfather's face softened ever so slightly and he gestured to a fallen tree and a stump across from each other. Understanding, Ken sat down on the trunk of the fallen tree while his grandfather sat on the stump. "I will tell you a story that our family tells the next generation only when we believe they are ready, normally that isn't until they are well in their teens but I see that you need to hear this story now." Kenford still looked confused but for the first time since he had come to understand the destructive power of his quirk he no longer had any fear or sadness in his eyes, now they held the same wonder and curiosity most children of his age had.

"You know the story already that some 200 years ago quirks began to appear and consequently of the chaos that followed which led to the first hero's rising. People say that they were pure of heart looking only to help others, people idolize them though not many remember who they were or why they did what they did. Our ancestor, however, kept many journals of his life during that time, the first Sadao to develop a quirk was named Junichiro and unlike the stories would lead us to believe he was not what people would believe to be a good person. He was a member of the Yakuza and his quirk allowed him to turn into hybrid members of the Panthera family such as tigers, lions, jaguars, and leopards." Seeing his grandson's eyes widen before his hands went up to the ears on the side of his head that were signature to the Sadao family Nakazawa nodded in affirmation.

"Yes it is partially from him that we have our cat-like appearance and abilities, however, that is a discussion for another time, for now, let me continue the story." Not waiting for a response he continued speaking, "During that time he became a crucial part of the Yakuza for with his new power's few could stand against him, he could tear apart any who stood against him with only his claws and teeth, he also possessed something he called true instincts, he described it as the pinnacle of his senses working together in harmony. However, it came with a great disadvantage for the animal instincts were very strong to the point where if he lost control he would slaughter all who stood before him even if they had already surrendered." He emphasized the last sentence and gave his grandson a pointed look so that he would remember this part before continuing.

"With all that power he stood well above the chaos that filled the streets and would have very well grown even greater in power, however, there came a time when he was on the edge of becoming the leader of his branch of the Yakuza that he made a choice that would forever change the course of his life and many others." He paused to allow his grandson time to digest what he had heard so far before continuing.

"That choice was to not bow down to an unnamed enemy so great that their dark power threatened to conquer all of Japan. He wrote very little about this enemy but the result of his choice was that his own turned against him and tried to kill him but thanks to his power and experience he was able to escape and go into hiding. From then on he made it his mission to fight against the enemy to get his revenge but to try to hide his real identity from the general public and in an attempt to keep the one he was fighting from being completely sure it was him he decided to take on an alias, he chose to name himself Panthera and wore a disguise. His actions lead to him saving people and in time he would eventually choose to embrace the life of a hero through his past actions made it difficult for him to control himself and his savage desires when he used his quirk." He looked into his grandson's eyes and saw amazement, he was disappointed though not surprised that he didn't see understanding in the boy's eyes.

Since a subtle path didn't seem to be working he knew he would have to take a more direct path. "My boy this not only the story of our family's origin but it's also something I want you to understand. Heroes are not born, people don't just wake up with power that makes them a perfect hero. Heroes must be made, the strongest heroes are the ones who like a sword are forged and tempered in fire, it is those who go through hardships and rise above their trials that grow to show what true heroism is." He stood up and held a hand out to his grandson. "I know you have fears, the others see your sadness believing it's because you feel that your quirk will not allow you to be a hero. While that may be a part of your pain I believe your sadness and your avoidance of us is because you understand the destructive potential your quirk has."

Ken's eyes began to fill with tears yet he made no move to wipe them away he simply let them fall his face keeping his hands away from everything. That confirmed Nakazawa's belief so he continued speaking stepping closer to Kenford as he did. "You understand that you have the power to destroy anything or anyone with the slightest touch and you fear what will happen if you lose control of your quirk around others. Your fear comes not from the loss of a dream of being a hero but of hurting the people you love and the innocent around you."

He now stood in front of his crying grandson and knelt placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You have a right to feel as you do and while a little fear is good for it keeps you cautious and careful, too much fear will cripple you and will make it more likely that your fears will come to pass one day." He paused for a minute to see his grandson's reaction but there was none, Kenford simply kept crying and looking down. "Miyamoto, your fear and desire to isolate yourself only shows me that you have a heart that cares for others more than yourself. You would rather be left alone so that you won't harm anyone, but that's not enough, you must accept this power of yours and learn to control it if you do then nothing will stop you from rising above this challenge."

The use of his nickname, a sentimental name only his grandmother called him had caused him to look up at his grandfather in surprise and then the to be called his grandson with an affectionate tone something he had never heard from his grandfather, it caught his full attention and now he looked his grandfather in the eyes as the normally stoic man said one more sentence that would change his life. "My grandson you can rise above this trail, you can learn to control this power for good, you can be a hero, and one day you will be one of the greatest heroes this world has ever seen, I and your family believe in you." Kenford stared at his grandfather and lunged forward wrapping his arms around the man and cried into his chest, he felt his grandfather's strong arms wrap around him in a warm embrace.

_**Life can be cruel people will try to knock you down and break you and though at times they may succeed we can recover though perhaps not on our own, sometimes we need someone we love t to believe in us. Though young Kenford has a long road ahead to and many more trials to overcome to one day go beyond what he believed his limits to be, that however is a story for another time.**_

**Well, that brings this chapter to a close, I have to admit this came out rather differently than I originally planned but I have to admit I'm rather pleased with how it turned out. I want to again thank everyone who has shown support for this story so far JayAttano, Patas, dragonlord6, virtexrican, Stryker28999, and TheUnholyMessiah thanks for the follow/favorite. I hope you have all enjoyed please leave a review letting me know what you think. **

**Please be careful everyone with everything going on, I hope you all have a great day and I'll see you all next time. **


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey, everyone, it's good to be back, sorry about the long delay. I struggle with writer's block and I haven't had much time to work on my writing, not to mention how crazy the world has been. That along with me having to iron out some details caused the temporary hiatus. But now I'm back and ready to continue writing. I hope you enjoy it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own MHA or it's characters**

_**Narrator**_

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_**Two years have passed since Izuku was told that his dream of becoming a hero was impossible. Since then he had to endure being belittled again and again by a world that saw him as weak and useless. A world that tried to extinguish the flame that burned deep within him.**_

Izuku watched the televisions through the store's window as the news played going over another villain attack that had been resolved by a heroine. He watched transfixed as the woman moved so fast that she was a blur with arcs of electricity trailing behind her as she struck the villain then jumping away repeating the process in a series of fast and fluid movements, the impacts along with the bursts of electricity taking down the much bigger and sturdier man. Izuku opened up a notebook he began to take notes muttering quietly to himself, a habit he had fallen into. "She was able to take him down using speed but even with her quirk how did she do so much damage? It must have been where she hit him, or maybe she's stronger than she looks…"

He continued muttering to himself and taking notes not noticing the looks he got from others as they passed. His musings only lasted a minute as a familiar set of voices sounded right behind him causing him to jump in fright and drop his notebook.

"What are you up to Deku?" Katsuki Bakugo asked in his usual aggressive and scolding tone. At his sides, his usual followers grinned at Izuku's reaction and his frightened expression.

"K-Kachan! H-hey I was uhh...j-just watching t-the news." He tried to smile but his fear made it an impossible task. That fear grew as the skinny boy used his quirk to snatch up the notebook with his extended fingers, smirking as he read the title and handed it over to Bakugo. Izuku paled as Bakugo flipped through it his eyes filling with anger, a vein bulged on his forehead as he closed the book.

"So Deku you're taking notes on heroes, you better not be thinking that you can be a hero." As he spoke his followers began to edge closer, "Because I thought you would have learned your lesson already." He smiled at Izuku but the smile didn't match the look of anger in his eyes. "A quirkless loser like you could NEVER be a hero."

Knowing what was about to happen Izuku glanced at his notebook in his once friend's hand and took off running as fast as he could. Tossing the notebook over his shoulder Bakugo took the lead chasing after Izuku. His two friends following close behind unaware of a hand in a black glove picking up the notebook.

Izuku bent over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, he looked around hoping that he had lost his pursuers. He let out a sigh of relief as he noticed that the park was empty but his moment of peace ended with the sound of flapping wings before he felt a hard kick to his back. Groaning as he got up from the kick he heard more footsteps and his fears were confirmed, Bakugo and his friends had just caught up and were surrounding him.

Bakugo grinned as he saw the panicked look on Izuku's face. "Come on Deku you are an idiot if you thought you could get away from me." Stepping closer, small explosions coming from his hands, and the other two following their leader's example with their quirks.

Izuku was trembling, once again he was about to suffer for his dream. As the beating began he tried to fight back but it was useless, despite his desire he just couldn't stand against them. Even if it had only been one of them he still wouldn't have been able to win. Tears ran down his face both from the beating and the knowledge that there was nothing he could do. And so the flame in him began to dim as hopelessness settled in.

"Hey stop that!" A voice rang out causing the three to stop. Running towards them was a boy that looked their age with black pointed ears and a black tail that was swinging from side to side erratically. His angry tone along with his sudden appearance made them back away in surprise from Izuku causing him to fall from the beating he had just received. The boy stopped a few inches away from them glaring at them with his teeth bared exposing gleaming fangs for a moment before pushing past them and crouching down extended his hand to Izuku the anger fading from his bright almost amber-colored eyes.

Izuku blinked up at the proffered hand then at the face of his rescuer. "Don't worry I'm here to help." It took a minute for the words to sink in when they finally did Izuku's eyes watered as he took the proffered hand and was helped up. It was then that the others seemed to get over their shock.

Bakugo was the first to recover as he watched this random person showing concern for Deku and when the stranger began to walk away while supporting the hurt Izuku without even a backward glance as if he didn't find the rest of them worth his time Bakugo's anger boiled over. "Hey! Who do you think you are butting into our business!"

The boy didn't respond but continued to walk away with Izuku. "Come on let's get you somewhere else. Are your parents close by?"

"Uhh...n-no my mom should be home. B-but I don't live that far, I-I think I can make it on my own." He wasn't sure if it was true since he wouldn't be surprised if Bakugo and his gang ended up trying to catch him on the way but he didn't want this person getting any more involved than he already was out of fear of what Bakugo would do to him.

"Don't worry, I don't mind helping you get home." As they spoke, Bakugo's friends looked to the stranger than to their leader with uncertainty. Bakugo could see the expectancy in their eyes and the quickly growing doubt, for the first time they were doubting if he Katsuki Bakugo was all that he claimed to be. After all, this random nobody just strutted in from nowhere and pushed them aside just with his words and was now ignoring their leader as if he was nothing.

Bakugo trembled in rage and with a wordless shout he ran at two figures planning to show this upstart that he was not someone to be ignored, that he was strong, and that no one could get in his way. He covered the short distance in a few seconds, his hands sparking with small explosions. And before they could move he swiped at the air unleashing a stronger explosion than he ever used. The smoke from the blast obscured his vision but he was already grinning wildly after all his explosions were enough to make kids twice his age run away after a few small blasts. So this guy who seemed to be his age should be ready to give up, and the blast should have also hit Deku so that would help remind the nerd of his place. After a few seconds passed the smoke cleared up and Bakugo was expecting to see both of them on the ground

As they walked away Izuku heard Bakugo but before he could warn the boy helping him he was on the ground with the unknown boy covering him with his arms around him in a protective embrace. Izuku felt his face heat up at being hugged by the stranger but he also felt oddly safe. The cat-eared boy for his part was gritting his teeth from the initial pain, despite his clothes protecting him from most of the heat, he still felt the impact and his jacket now had a large burn mark. So with deceptive calmness, he spoke through his gritted teeth. "H-hey do you mind walking ahead for a minute? I think this guy wants my attention." And letting go of Izuku he turned around as the smoke cleared up and he faced the explosive quirk user.

"You have my attention, so now what?" The calm almost bored tone and the blank expression took Bakugo aback and for a moment he felt what could almost be considered. That emotion was quickly squashed, replaced once again with rage.

"You bastard who do you think you are talking to me like that and getting in my way?" Bakugo was barring his teeth in a fierce approximation of a smile, his whole body trembled with barely restrained rage.

The boy's expression didn't change and neither did his tone. "I'm just someone who doesn't stand by and watch other people get bullied. Plus I wanted to return that guy's notebook." He gestured to his leather bag that had fallen off when the explosion had ripped the strap. With the flap open said notebook had fallen out and they all looked at it in surprise. "Now if you'll excuse me I got to get this guy home."

Bakugo was outraged, he hated this guy's smug attitude and he was going to make this guy pay for disrespecting him no matter what it took. He lunged forward in a crude imitation of a palm strike his hands sparking with another explosion. A moment before his explosion landed he felt something hard slam into his nose knocking him back onto his back with a shout as a burst of pain came from his now broken nose. Clutching his nose he looked up and once again saw the same bored expression as before now with a hint of contempt. Bakugo saw red and with a shout of rage, he forgot about the pain in his nose, from that moment on he had tunnel vision his only goal was to beat this interloper who had humiliated him and dared to look down at him. He attacked the cat boy with everything he had swinging wildly releasing explosion after explosion fighting like a wild animal. He even managed to land a few hits but they were only glancing blows the rest were dodged by the boy all the while looking focused but still calm. And soon he was panting his arms screaming in pain as his quirk had reached its limit, even so, he had to beat this bastard, after all, that was what a hero does, they win no matter the odds. With a wordless cry, he lounged forward only for the boy to sidestep him and with a sidekick clipped him on the side of the head. His vision blurred and he hit the ground the world growing dark, his last feelings were disbelief and a burning hatred for the boy who had beaten him, then the world went dark.

Izuku had watched the fight with growing awe as he watched his once friend be defeated by this unknown kid without using any quirk that he could tell unless his cat-like appendages were signs of a possible mutation quirk. Even so, it was the guy's fighting skill and calmness that stood out, despite facing someone with such a powerful quirk he never seemed to be worried and he never lost control. In his head, he couldn't help but wonder if he could ever be like that, so calm and confident. The boy turned to the other two boys who had watched in horror as their leader was utterly dominated. They flinched as the boy shifted his attention to them as they feared he would do the same to them. The boy simply pointed to their unconscious leader and with the same tone as before spoke. "You should get him to his parents." Then he turned around and helped Izuku up, grabbing his bag, and together they walked away.

Izuku was quiet for a few minutes as they left the park, he wasn't sure what to say to the mysterious boy until he noticed that his movements were stiffer and the smell of burnt fabric clung to him. Looking down he saw holes in the boy's shirt, concern for the boy made Izuku speak forgetting about his pain. "H-hey, are you okay? Kachan didn't hurt you badly did he… ?" He trailed off realizing that he still didn't know the name of his rescuer.

The boy blinked a sharp sudden motion that seemed to be his way of showing surprise. Despite that, his tone was plain and unemotional like before as he answered, "I'm fine, he didn't get a solid hit on me."

"O-oh, good...um thank you for helping me by the way. I'm sorry that you might have gotten hurt, I know Kachan is really strong and that you didn't have to get involved. I don't know why you did but I'm really grateful…" As Izuku spoke was getting quieter and faster until he was muttering unintelligibly.

The cat-like boy's face twitched as a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, his ears not just a simple difference in appearance to others were much stronger than a normal person's so he could hear the boys muttering even if it was difficult to understand due to how fast he was talking. But he did manage to hear when the greenette said something about not knowing his name to thank him properly. The boy blinked again as he realized he had yet to introduce himself or ask the name of the greenette he was currently helping. Mentally scolding himself for his breach of etiquette he decided to correct the mistake.

"Hey, my name is Kenford...Kenford Sadao and it's okay." The calm and confident voice broke through Izuku's muttering, he looked back at the cat-like boy. "Any injuries I may have gotten from that fight aren't your fault so you shouldn't feel guilty about it. You needed help and I was in a position to do so if I hadn't helped then it would have been the same thing as hurting you myself." Izuku stayed quiet and they stopped walking, the boy seemed a little disconcerted at the intense look Izuku was giving him. But with only his tail giving a nervous twitch he carried on. "And even if I had known that I could have gotten hurt helping you, I still would have done it regardless. Now come on we need to get you home." The cat-like boy named Kenford looked up at the building they were standing in front of, he felt embarrassed that he had made his actions sound so heroic after all he had only done what any decent person would have done.

Izuku's eyes began to water, despite Kenford's expression of disinterest the conviction in his voice and the soft tone in his voice spoke volumes. This stranger had put himself in harm's way for him and unlike Kachan he didn't do it for glory or to prove he was the best, while he would always care about and admire his once friend he knew at that moment he was with someone who already had the makings of a great hero. Wiping at his eyes before he shed more tears Izuku smiled at his rescuer. "My name is Izuku, Izuku Midoryia."

Kenford looked like he was about to say something but with a desire today what he felt pushing him forward Izuku didn't give him a chance to say anything and now his voice didn't waver or stutter. "Thank you for helping me Sadao-san, you're my hero."

Kenford was left speechless, his cheeks warmed though thanks to his darker skin his blush didn't show, so with some difficulty he managed to find his voice. "Y-your welcome Midoriya-san, now come on let's get you home to your mom."

Izuku nodded and together they climbed the stairs and just as they arrived at the door to his apartment a question occurred to Midoriya. "Hey, Sadao-san where are your parents? Won't they be worried about you?"

Kenford blushed and looked down at the ground his tail twitched nervously, he shuffled his feet and his ears drooped, his expression was that of a child who knew they had done something they shouldn't have done and was now caught. "W-well I kinda left my dad when I chased after you...and he's probably freaking out right now looking for me."

Izuku looked shocked but quickly gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Sadao-san I'm sure my mom can help! She can call your dad if you know his phone number or she can call the police and they can help let your dad know you're okay! Until then you can stay here maybe we can play a game. Oh! Or I could show you my All Might collection, he's my favorite hero and you can tell me about your favorite hero!"

Kenford felt a tug on his lips as a small smile grew on his face as Izuku continued to ramble. It had been a long time since someone had made him smile aside from his family. When he had decided to help Izuku he had just planned to help and leave as soon as possible both to find his dad and because he wasn't comfortable around anyone who wasn't a member of his family. But Izuku put him at ease, maybe it was the innocent look on his face or his energetic nature, he didn't know but he felt like he could just maybe let his guard down a little, and after a nod, the two stepped inside the apartment.

The rest of the day passed quickly, Inko Midoriya immediately panicked when she saw the boys. And after an explanation where Izuku reluctantly named Bakugo, his once friend as the primary bully who had been tormenting him for the past two years she thanked the young boy who had helped her son. She fussed over the two boys and made a call to the police. Kenford's father arrived soon and thanked the woman for helping to find his son, also learning about why his son had left and the consequent fight. To Izuku's surprise and delight he learned that the man was a hero and was part of a family of famous heroes. The rest of the day was spent with the two parents talking while their children talked and played. By the end of the day, the two families parted ways reluctantly but with promises of seeing each other again. Izuku and Kenford waved goodbye to each other with a smile albeit the latter's was a small one.

_**Two young lives changed because of a chance encounter, perhaps they weren't around each other for long but neither would forget the other. And now with the beginning of a friendship that was sorely needed in both their lives so much will change. Because sometimes you only need one true friend to stand with you and rise above the challenges that life throws at you but that is a story for another time. **_

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**Hey everyone I hope you liked this chapter, again I'm sorry this one took so long to make. I will be trying harder to get a chapter out as soon as I can. I can't give you a specific schedule but I can at least promise one chapter a month. I know that makes me sound lazy but my job leaves me exhausted every night and I barely manage to get away with an hour a day to try to write with Sunday being the only day I have more time to write. The good news is that I should have an easier time writing now that I'm almost done with my own fanfic exclusive chapters. Soon I'll be writing into the actual show and that should speed things up a little. **

**Anyway next order of business, pairings, I did change this into an ocxharem but I'm not going to throw girls in randomly at the moment each girl has been chosen for a reason and I may add more girls in time but I'll be careful and selective about it. And who knows maybe Izuku will get a harem of his own after all there are plenty of girls who I think would be interested in our greenette cinnamon roll. **

**And finally, thank you to Entitled24, Slowwindmage, Flame151, and Mrsiri for following/favoriting my story. It means the world to me that even though I didn't update for so long more people decided to show support. If you enjoy this story consider leaving a review or follow/favorite. Thanks again and I'll see you next time!**


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